Police: Site of biker gunfight refused to help prevent it

[Omaha Steve]

Source: USA Today

Landon Haaf,

WACO, Texas — A deadly gunfight between rival motorcycle gangs at a local restaurant could have been prevented by the eatery's management, Waco police said Monday.

Nine people were killed and at least 18 more were injured in a melee Sunday involving guns, knives, clubs and other paraphernalia at the Twin Peaks restaurant. Police said Monday that 192 people were being arrested on Engaging in Organized Crime charges.

Waco Police Department Sgt. Patrick Swanton said police knew before Sunday's shootout that there would be trouble. Police had officers at the scene and attempted to work with management before Sunday, but the restaurant refused, Swanton said.

"What happened ... could have been avoided if we would have had management at a local establishment listen to their police department and assist us," Swanton said. "They failed to do that, and this is the event that happened."

FULL story and video at link.



Authorities investigate a shooting in the parking lot of the Twin Peaks restaurant Sunday, May 17, 2015, in Waco, Texas.
(Photo: Jerry Larson, AP)

Read more: http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2015/05/18/waco-biker-gang-shooting/27519285/

[TheCowsCameHome]

1. Better they thin their herd in one nice, compact area,

than rampaging all over the place hurting outsiders.

What sickos...............

[niyad]

2. what, exactly, was management supposed to do? nothing in the article indicated what

actions the police expected them to take.

[Gormy Cuss]

5. I was wondering that too.

Did the PD ask them to cancel the booking? Did they ask the restaurant to have a weapons check at the door or to employ LEOs as security? The message of blame on the restaurant started immediately. Today their liquor license was suspended.


I also wonder how many of those shot were wounded or killed by LEOs. The news is making it sound like all were killed by other gang members. With a tactical team in place before the violence erupted surely some were shot by LEOs.

Make no mistake about it, I'm really glad that the violence ended without injuries to bystanders but the reporting of this incident seems incredibly slanted.

[okasha]

13. The police tried to persuade the restaurant

not to host the event, precisely because it could and did endanger the public. The restaurant refused.

Criminal gangs+guns+liquor=predictable outcome.

[Gormy Cuss]

17. Based on what, exactly? This restaurant apparently had hosted another biker event this month

(presumably without serious incident since it wasn't national news, but all the facts aren't out there yet.) Did the police have event-specific knowledge of planned violence or was it just a suggestion based on not wanting the outlaw clubs to congregate in Waco?

Having lived less than a block from a biker club bar, I'm well aware the potential for violence but most of the time absolutely nothing happened other than excessive noise when all the bikes were revved at closing time.

[Mosby]

21. The restaurant chain mgmt pulled their franchise license.

They were notified about the possible problems and told the franchise not to host the event.

That's what I heard.

[Gormy Cuss]

22. Right, I heard that the chain asked them not to hold it.

That wasn't my question though, which is why did the PD make this request at an establishment that apparently routinely courted this demographic.

[okasha]

32. The Bandidos et alia.

are neither normal bikers nor "a demographic." They operate as an organized crime syndicate. Bikers, per se, may get a bit rowdy now and then, but they don't routinely commit murder.

[Chakab]

6. ...and why is it the job of civilians to police violent, organized criminal gangs who have no qualms

about going after people who cross them?

[FSogol]

25. It became their responsibility when they got their liquor license.

Management could have canceled the event, closed the doors, shut off the taps, hired extra security, etc.

If the police get called out to a bar frequently, there are going to be repercussions on the business and the status of the license. A bar must be a good neighbor/citizen or it will get closed.

[Novara]

3. I keep hearing them say this but no suggestions how it could have been done

Typical. The cops are on site because they know there will be trouble, they don't prevent nine idiots from killing each other even though they're right there, and they blame the restaurant. What was the restaurant supposed to do? Close their doors to paying customers? Do they really think they'd do that? How were they supposed to prevent this?

The cops were there, and still nine assholes killed each other. Aside from the idiots playing Wild Wild West with guns, who is more responsible? The restaurant management or the cops?

[pandr32]

27. We do not know who did the shooting

...and yet people are making assumptions based on the given narrative by police.

[Android3.14]

4. Something fishy here. Why would the journalist make the assertion

and then provide zero details what the police asked and expected of the management.

At the very least, the journalist should point out that the police would provide no details.

[Rozlee]

7. Why is it that when white gangs have a fight, it's a 'melee,'

or an 'altercation,' but if it was a black inner city gang, it would probably have been a violent turf battle or riot? Totally off the cuff and in no way pertinent to the subject being discussed. Carry on.
PS: Plus, I notice the story is number one on all the major news channels, but only a blurb on Fox News. Quelle surprise.

[pandr32]

29. Many of the Bandidos

are Hispanic, especially in Southern States, and a few here in Washington, too.

[PatrynXX]

8. seems off to me though

seriously unless there's a cop presence at the place , who in their right mind wants to avoid the problem if it envolves knives chains and guns

[AuntPatsy]

9. Interesting the number of people allowing the media to write their own stories without

Calling them out, thankfully not all are so inclined to ignore blank spots, there remains more questions than answers concerning the media driven account...

[GusBob]

10. Apparantly the corporate HQ agrees and revoked the franchise's license

sounds as if the cops told them there would be blood and they ignored the warning

[Sunlei]

12. shame on the Police to blame a restaurant for customers parking lot behavior problems.

[FSogol]

26. Restaurants are responsible for their customer's parking lot behavior. It is the restaurant's

property.

[sarisataka]

14. Why did the bikers congregate at Twin Peaks... {sexist pic warning}

Why did bikers congregate at Twin Peaks in the first place? The short answer is booty, booze and burgers. Twin Peaks is a lumberjack-themed “breastraunt,” whose owner CEO Randy DeWitt once told Bloomberg that “Hooters just wasn’t racy enough.” It’s an aggressive business model, whose customers are typified, though perhaps caricatured, by the rowdy male members of the violent biker gangs. The long answer is that Twin Peaks franchises host “Bike Nights,” which include specials geared towards bikers. Police say that these theme nights have been a catalyst for violent altercations in the past.



As early as two months ago, police knew that tensions were running high between rival gangs. “There’s been some trouble brewing between these gangs for sometime,” McLennan County Sheriff Parnell McNamara told reporters after the shooting. Officials were so concerned about violence breaking out on Biker Night that they asked the Waco franchise owner to cancel the event, according to local media. When the owner refused, police pleaded higher-ups of the Twin Peaks chain. Its unclear to what extent the national franchisor cooperated with police, but in any case it did not close down the event. Refusing advice from the police is not a crime, and Twin Peaks administrators are not being charged by police. However, authorities were surprised when local Waco Twin Peaks published a note on its Facebook page saying that it would “continue” to cooperate with police.

http://www.latintimes.com/waco-biker-shooting-twin-peaks-owners-ignored-police-warnings-ahead-brawl-left-9-dead-317266

?itok=JaDNx8LE

[NobodyHere]

19. They could've put up a poster with the average biker in those outfits

That would've kept the bikers away and prevented the violence.

[TheCowsCameHome]

23. Thugs and Jugs.

A winning combination.

[Fred Sanders]

15. Non-barbaric, non-existent, insanely lax gun control laws would have prevented this, thanks GOP and NRA.

And what part of "armed to the teeth enemy criminal biker gangs" does not fit into the equation?

[hack89]

18. Yes - we need a law making it illegal for felons to own illegal guns and kill other people

oh wait.

[pandr32]

28. Are you saying that all 1%s are felons?

Because they are not, I can assure you. I am married to a Bandido who is a military veteran and has no rap sheet aside from being known by the FBI...they keep a list.

[hack89]

30. I suspect a great majority are

they are, after all, members of a criminal syndicate.

[TheCowsCameHome]

24. Guns make the whole world safe.

Or some bullshit like that.............

[vkkv]

16. Texass ...

Everything is BIG in Texass.. especially the SUCK.

[Taitertots]

20. "Work with management"? Meaningless weasel statement.

I'm calling bullshit until they actually say what they advocated and why it would prevent this.

[840high]

31. Read up thread.